Saturday, June 26, 2021

Skiing With Spiegel (Spiegel Catalog, Fall-Winter 1938)

 It looks like snow outside.  Maybe it's time to crack out the ski gear?


The costumes above were advertised in Spiegel in 1938.  The functions of ski wear haven't changed since 1938 (keeping the wearer warm and dry while allowing them freedom to move) but the fabrics  certainly have!  In 1938 rayon was the only synthetic fiber available, so all these costumes are made of heavy, waterproofed wool.  (Eddie Bauer created the first quilted "puffer" jacket in 1936, but stretch ski-pants, waterproof nylon and Gore-Tex all lay in the future.)

You've probably noticed that the woman on the right is dressed in a skirt rather than pants.  She was not meant to wear it on the ski slopes.  It was part of a three piece outfit advertised by Spiegel consisting of jacket, ski pants and skirt.  Worn with the pants the jacket was part of a ski costume, and substituting the skirt turned it into the top half of a suit!  The skiing version of the outfit is shown on the miniature figure at the far right.
 

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